1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a printed circuit board connector, such as a press-fit printed circuit board connector, having right-angled pins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A connector of this kind comprises an electrically insulative body carrying a series of right-angled pins whose proximal branches (relative to the printed circuit board) are substantially perpendicular to the board and have a profile enabling them to be force-fitted into through-plated holes in the printed circuit, and whose distal branches (relative to the board) are substantially parallel to the board and fastened to an active part disposed in the insulative body and configured as male or female connection members.
In theory, the pins are forced-fitted into the through-plated holes of the board once and for all, but it is possible to demount the connector two or three times, to carry out repairs, for example. The connection members carried by the distal branches of the pins are intended to provide a substantially demountable electrical connection, for example with a rectangular connector.
A press-fit connector is usually mounted on the board by pressing directly on the bent portions of the pins in order to force them into the aligned through-plated holes. The nominal insertion force is high (in the order of 50N per pin).
A drawback of this operation is that it requires tooling specific to each connector in order to apply pressure simultaneously and uniformly to each pin of the connector.
Also, it is desirable for the pins to be held accurately in place so that they are aligned with the holes, especially in the case of right-angled pins which are to be soldered to a printed circuit.
The invention proposes to remedy this drawback by means of a connector whose insulative body has a specific geometry enabling pressure to be applied simultaneously to all the contacts when inserting the connector into the printed circuit board.